Do you see yourself as an individual or a member of a collection? For the last few years, I have traveled to Japan and personally observed collectivism of a society in contrast to individualistic United States.
The 80 years old relationship study at Harvard started in 1938 clearly demonstrated that lifelong happiness requires the functional boundary of relationship greater than the one defined for the “Self”.
Yet, as described by Richard Dawkins in “The Selfish Gene” – “We are survival machines-robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes”.
So which model should a person use to design his/her life – the Harvard study or The Selfish Gene?
Let’s apply these two models to the big gene – the “Self”.
If you are given an unlimited resource to conduct a psychology experiment to test the 7.7 billions of people on the planet to observe and record the following situation – build a massive jail and force everyone including yourself into the prison with the following two arrangements –
- Lock ½ of the population with each person into their own respective cell..
- With the remaining half, pair two persons to every cell.
The jail is built with electronic locks that will automatically open in three years.
The jail is built with an absolute isolation such that the prison will not hear or see another human being (not even a shadow) – unless it is a paired cell.
Food, water, pen, paper and books are provided – no other source of entertainment.
Prior to the lockup, all prisoners are given a psychological test to capture the all the individual baseline.
What will happen to the earth population after three years of the experiment?
What will be in the data?
All the scientific studies thus far have favored the environment with two-person per cell – relationship with other beyond the boundary of “Self” is a lifelong requirement.
The 80 years Harvard study is the best scientific case that supports the requirement.
However, the data of this grand experiment will reveal that the two-person per cell is the better of the two evils.
Psychologically, everyone will be drastically different in three years regardless of the arrangements – single or pair.
The double cell arrangement will give an insulation against loneliness, but the confined space along with the limited external stimulations (pen and paper along with books are enough stimulation for a very small group of the population) will slowly smother the selfish gene desires for the evermore stimulants.
The “Self” is a building of genes. Collectively, genes turn on and off to achieve a particular configuration. The potential that flip the on and off switch is the external stimulants – perceivable with the ordinary five senses and the primordial instinct (unconsciousness) as the sixth sense.
The most profound stimulant that has impact most of the on and off switches in all the genes within the “Self” is other human beings – hence the need to be in a relationship.
The genetic expression, on or off, is the intrinsic property of the individual gene not the relationship that turned on the expression.
For example, the hand is needed to turn on the light switch. But the on or off states of the switch are the individualistic built-in action potential in waiting to be set.
Genetic expression is an intrinsic property exclusively belongs to the “Self”. It is the individualistic expression from all “Selves” that often gives the perception of Selfishness.
Genetic expression consumed external resources – from raw necessities like foods and water to organic stimulants such as other human beings.
When the actualized expression is exclusively for the benefit of the “Self”, the relationship between the “Self” and the external world is of a parasitic circumstance – parasitic relationships exist in nature, albeit in low occurrences.
Being able to express the individualism in each “Self” is a built-in requirement rooted in the genetic foundation. The bounded jail cell experiment is such a finite universe for the infinite individualism in each of the participant of the study.
Have you ever seen a lion live a full life within a zoo structure?
The most fulfill human beings are the ones who did, are and will successfully express their individualism – only if the individualistic expression brings benefits to at minimal of two or more persons with the “Self” as one of beneficiary.
Whereas, individualistic expression that is self-serving and has no utility beyond the “Self” will lead to the scarcity of the critical resource that stimulates the expression – other people.
Self serving individuals often lead a lonely and uninspiring life in the long run.
Individualism and collectivism are blended as shades on the spectrum. All actions and behaviors are the expressions of individual genes and the promotion of the survival of the collection of a species.
Extreme individualism without the counter balance of collectivism will lead to isolation, anarchy, defunct families and inegalitarian societies.
Extreme collectivism without the counter balance of individualism will lead to slavery, low innovation and slow progress societies.
The “Self” is a microcosm of the society at large. For the majority of the population the comfortable shade falls in between the two extremities of individualism and collectivism.
The perfect balance of shade is found when – “I see myself in the collection!”
A fulfill life is in reach for anyone who pursuits his/her own individual interest that resulted in the benefit beyond the “Self” boundary.
The individual pursuit does not have to be grand as changing the world. However, it has a minimal utility requirement of two wholesome “Selves” – the shade “I see myself in the collection” only comes into existence with two or greater “Selves”.
The need to express individualism is the foundation of all living things.
Collectivism is the maternal source of individualism – it births and nurtures the genetic expression that grows and beneficial to the collection as a whole.
It is not individualism or collectivism – it is individualism and collectivism.
Think as an individualist and live as a collectivist is the strategy to be executed in the game.
Let’s play the game of life!
